After updating WooCommerce, some users find that brand attribute URLs (e.g., yoursite.com/brand/some-brand) suddenly break. This is usually caused by a change in how WooCommerce handles taxonomy or permalink structures. While the WooCommerce team often addresses these bugs quickly, you might need to revert to a previous version if your site can’t wait.
Step 1: Back Up Your Entire WordPress Website
It’s never safe to start messing with versions (or any major changes) without a good backup. Make sure you have a full backup that includes both your WordPress files and your database. You can use:
- Your hosting provider’s backup feature
- WordPress backup plugins like UpdraftPlus, Duplicator, or BackupBuddy
Once your backup is safely stored, you’re good to move on.
Step 2: Install a Rollback Plugin
WordPress has a handy plugin called WP Rollback that makes downgrading themes and plugins easy:
- Log into your WordPress dashboard.
- Go to Plugins > Add New.
- Search for “WP Rollback”.
- Click Install Now, then Activate.
Step 3: Roll Back WooCommerce
Now that the rollback plugin is active, downgrading WooCommerce is straightforward:
- Head to Plugins > Installed Plugins.
- Find WooCommerce and click the Rollback link.
- Choose WooCommerce 9.5.1 or an earlier version.
- Confirm your choice and wait for the process to finish.
Step 4: Test Your Site
After rolling WooCommerce back, test your brand URLs to confirm everything is working again:
- Clear any caching plugins (if you use them) and clear your browser cache.
- Open a private/incognito window to ensure you’re seeing the latest version of your site.
- Visit a few brand URLs (like yoursite.com/brand/yourbrand) and make sure they’re loading correctly.
Step 5: Stay on Top of Updates
While rolling back is a quick fix, you don’t want to stick with an old WooCommerce version forever. Watch for updates or patch notes that mention a fix for brand permalink issues. Once you see that the bug has been addressed:
- Update WooCommerce on a staging site (or use your backup) first, just to test it out.
- If everything works, you can safely update your live WordPress site.
Quick Recap
- Always Backup First: Never skip this step, especially if your WooCommerce store handles customer data.
- Use WP Rollback: It’s the easiest way to downgrade plugins in WordPress.
- Choose 9.5.1 or Below: These versions typically don’t have the brand URL bug.
- Test and Clear Cache: Make sure your brand URLs work again.
- Monitor Future Updates: Look for official fixes and upgrade when you’re ready.
That’s it! Rolling back WooCommerce is one of the fastest ways to fix those broken /brand/ URLs on your WordPress site. Give it a try, and let your customers keep browsing your products without interruption. Good luck!